player concerns Archives

AppWizard

December 13, 2025

Sins of a Solar Empire 2 gets a massive diplomacy overhaul that makes wars ‘economically ruinous’

Ironclad Games has been providing updates and downloadable content for Sins of a Solar Empire 2 since its launch last year. Recent enhancements include new scenarios, improved population mechanics, better tutorials, and visual effects. The latest update, titled Diplomatic Repercussions, focuses on improving diplomacy by reworking the artificial intelligence of non-player character factions to make them more intelligent and friendly, increasing their likelihood of forming alliances. A revamped diplomacy menu now shows critical modifiers for proposals, and players can trade influence points for negotiations or intelligence. The update also features new quick-start options, a redesigned research and tech-tree menu, and decorative orbital shuttles. These changes aim to address player concerns about the previous diplomacy system's significance.

AppWizard

November 10, 2025

Beloved classic PC adventure game returns 23 years on with full remaster, but fans say it doesn’t do the original justice

The remaster of the 2002 game Syberia, announced in May, currently holds a 'mixed' rating on Steam, with some critics labeling it a "cash grab." Players have expressed disappointment over the remastering process, particularly regarding the unchanged original CG cutscenes, which contrast with the updated graphics. Some fans have humorously noted details like the "aggressively large" mustaches of characters and the placement of an automaton in a significant location. Despite criticisms, the game's charm persists, leading some fans to recommend the original version instead of the remaster. Players can purchase both versions in a bundle for a slightly higher price than the remaster alone. In contrast, the remaster of Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy, released earlier this year, received a more favorable reception.

AppWizard

November 3, 2025

Apex Legends Season 27 finally adds a new feature that’ll change my ranked experience forever

Apex Legends Season 27, named Amped, will introduce significant changes including an overhaul of loot distribution to address player concerns about landing in areas with inadequate loot. The total number of items on the map will remain the same, but disparities between points of interest (POIs) will be minimized. Additionally, the method of earning Ranked Points (KP) will be revised to balance the emphasis on placement and kills, encouraging a more action-oriented playstyle. A new feature will allow solo players to easily re-queue with teammates met in solo queue, enhancing the solo player experience. Season 27 is set to launch on November 4.

AppWizard

October 22, 2025

Starbreeze hands off Payday 2 to another developer as it goes all-in on trying to salvage the beleaguered Payday 3

Payday 3 is struggling to attract players, with only about 500 concurrent players reported on SteamDB, while its predecessor, Payday 2, has around 27,000 players even after 12 years. Starbreeze has introduced a subscription service for Payday 2's DLC, which has been generally well-received despite some player concerns. The studio has partnered with Sidetrack, known for their work in the Payday modding community, to enhance Payday 2, with the first update expected on October 23. Starbreeze acknowledges the initial criticism of Payday 3 as a "bad experience" and is committed to improving it, including plans to double the team size dedicated to the game.

AppWizard

October 4, 2025

As Helldivers 2’s install size swells to monstrous levels, Arrowhead admits old hardware is the problem

Helldivers 2 has an install size of approximately 150 GB on PC, which is about three times larger than its console versions. This increase is due to duplicated data for optimizing loading times on older mechanical HDDs. Arrowhead's deputy technical director, Brendan Armstrong, noted that around 12% of PC gamers may still use these older drives, complicating optimization efforts. The team plans to implement minor improvements by removing unused assets in the next update but acknowledges that new content may offset these gains. Future strategies include bundling frequently used assets for specific missions, which may still lead to longer load times for HDD users, expected to remain under 30 seconds. There are considerations for data compression and optional high-resolution texture downloads, but these are not the primary focus. The team is committed to addressing player concerns while balancing installation size and loading times.

AppWizard

October 4, 2025

‘There are no easy solutions’: Helldivers 2 dev explains why PC version needs 3x more storage than consoles

The PC version of Helldivers 2 requires approximately 150GB of storage, which is three times more than the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions. The larger install size is primarily due to the need to accommodate players using mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs), leading to the duplication of certain data files for quicker access during loading times. In contrast, most modern consoles and high-end PCs use solid-state drives (SSDs), which provide faster data access. About 12% of PC players still rely on HDDs, complicating optimization efforts. Arrowhead Game Studios plans a three-stage approach to address the storage issue, including an update to remove unused assets and exploring bundling frequently used assets. Future enhancements to the game engine may optimize RAM usage, but further improvements will require more extensive projects.

AppWizard

October 2, 2025

Not content with a winning season, Path of Exile 2 just totally transformed the endgame once again

The latest update for Path of Exile 2, called the Third Edict, has overhauled the endgame experience, introducing significant changes such as the mechanics surrounding towers and the use of precursor tablets. Tablets now have a fixed number of uses, allowing up to three modifiers when inserting a new waystone. The number of affixes has been slightly reduced, but their potential values have increased. Citadels spawn 66% more frequently, and every map now requires a boss for completion. The number of monster packs in lower-tier maps has been reduced by one-third, and affixes causing chill, shock, or ignite effects now cover less of the map. Orbs of Alchemy can be applied to magic items, and stash and merchant menus have been upgraded. The patch 0.3.1 is now live, with full patch notes available from Grinding Gear Games.

AppWizard

October 1, 2025

New Civilization 7 update targets the 4X giant’s biggest problems, from lack of variety to pointless choices

The latest patch for Civilization 7, update 1.2.5, introduces a new world-generation algorithm with two new map types: 'Continents and Islands' and 'Pangaea and Islands,' with the former as the default. Enhancements to city development menus aim to streamline decision-making without limiting player choices. The update includes significant balance changes, such as the removal of most stacking percentage bonuses for yields, replaced by flat bonuses, and a new cost-progression mechanic for buildings that increases future construction costs. Base production in towns has been reduced, and unit maintenance costs recalibrated. Two new types of city-states—diplomatic and expansionist—have been added, each offering distinct benefits. Napoleon has been overhauled to better reflect his historical significance, with updated abilities for both his personas. The update is now live, with a focus on maintaining backward compatibility for existing saves, though some new features may only be available in new games.

AppWizard

September 26, 2025

Starbreeze says sorry, reverses price increase on Payday 2 DLC bundle: ‘We definitely didn’t handle this right’

Starbreeze has launched a subscription service for Payday 2 DLC, allowing players to access all available content for a monthly fee. The introduction of this service coincided with a price increase of the Infamous Collection, which rose from to , leading to player concerns that the price hike was intended to push them towards the subscription. Gustav Nisser, Starbreeze's head of commercial, stated there was no intentional link between the two events and acknowledged the poor timing and communication regarding the price change. Following community backlash, Starbreeze decided to revert the Infamous Collection's pricing to its original discount structure. The price adjustment was part of a broader review that deemed the previous 52% discount excessive. Nisser admitted that the timing of the price change was a mistake and emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with the player base, as Payday 2 continues to attract a significant number of players daily.

AppWizard

September 25, 2025

Civilization-style historical 4X has been entirely reborn with a full 2.0 update and culture system

Ara: History Untold 2.0 has undergone a significant transformation with the 'Revolutions' update, introducing an intricate culture system with over 40 unlockable traits, enhancing the uniqueness of leaders and factions, and streamlining city micromanagement. The update features a culture and influence system that allows cities to generate influence based on cultural output, which can be used for various buffs and territorial expansion. The Agitator unit is introduced for inciting rebellion in rival regions, and each civilization now has unique historical forces and reworked leaders with distinct mechanics. The crafting queue has been replaced with a 'priority and quota' system for efficient production management. AI opponents have improved intelligence and personality, and map generation now features more realistic resource clustering. The game engine has been optimized for faster turn times and reduced CPU demands, and the user interface has been refreshed. The update is now available, and players can refer to a comprehensive changelog for details.